The First Class section was in the front cabin of the plane, taking up 2 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. For this flight, I was seated at 1G, which is a bulkhead seat. The seat was 30 inches wide, and had a pitch of 64 inches. The seat also reclined into a fully flat bed measuring 78’’.

After being seated and waiting for the flight to fill up, I was offered a glass of pre-departure champagne and a bowl of warm almonds. I got myself comfortable in the seat and began looking around. To the left of my seat, lining the length of the inner wall was the side table which had a wooden top. The reading light was next to the seat, next to a rectangular compartment which opened up to power plugs and a mirror. The remote control for the TV was located under this compartment.

In the middle of the side table was another seat controller to adjust the seat. The tray table was folded in the middle of the side table. Towards the front, there were 3 buttons on the side of the wooden table that were used to pop out the tray table and turn on/off the TV and lights. On the front part of the side table, there was also a small sunken storage area with a USB port. This area was ideal for phones or other small items. In the front of the seat was the 15.4” TV, which could be swivelled outwards.

There was a big pillow placed on the seat when I boarded the plane. On the side table, waiting for me were the headphones, in-flight menu and the amenity kit. I was impressed that American Airlines offered a pair of noise-cancelling Bose headphones. The amenity kit was a Cole Haan branded pouch. The items inside include an eyeshade, a dental kit and mouthwash, compression socks, earbuds, and some hand cream, moisturizer and lip balm from a brand called 3LAB. Shortly after takeoff, I requested for a pair of pyjamas. While unbranded, the American Airlines pyjamas are quite comfortable. They also provided a pair of slippers.

Soon, the in-flight dining commenced. This was from the Flagship First food menu on AMerican Airlines which I have discussed in more detail separately. I started off with the caviar and gazpacho. There was also a side of olives and beetroot chips. The caviar serving was quite small but tasty. The gazpacho had a bit too much of a ginger aftertaste for my liking. I ordered some salad with the Miso-Marinated Portobello for my starter. The mushroom was done quite well and was delicious. I was also impressed that they provided me with two mini-sized salt and pepper grinders.

For my main course, I had the Braised Pork Belly with a side of Brussel sprouts and choy sum. The pork belly was tender and succulent, and the honey soy glaze was adequately flavourful. The side vegetables were nice and crunchy as well. After the satisfying meal, I had a mixed fruit tart as a dessert.

Following the meal, I continued watching some movies before having my bed set up to sleep. The stewardesses made up my bed with a comforter and a blanket. I forgot to take pictures of these, as I was quite tired at that point. I slept quite well for the remainder of the flight,

Overall, I would say that I was quite satisfied with American Airlines’ Flagship First. While there is always the perception that US carriers are completely outclassed by the Big 3 Middle Eastern carriers, Etihad, Emirates & Qatar of top Asian ones, I would say that AA First does a decent effort in competing with this product.

This review was written by Luxury Travel Diary Contributor Lenard Lim.

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